I grew up poor in the sixties, the only TV sets we ever had were salvaged from the garbage, my Dad would drag them home, pop out all the tubes and send me to the corner store to test them all. Once we knew which tubes were defective he would look for matching tubes in other set until we had a working TV. I likely tested over 1000 tubes in my childhood.

I was 17 or 18 in the mid 70's hitchhiking across Canada, so you know dirty, long haired, backpack. Arrived at a small truck stop somewhere in the prairies with just enough cash for a cup of coffee. I was getting a few looks, nothing to bad it was Canada after all. I started nervously playing with a ketchup packet, squeezing it between my fingers when suddenly the packet developed a small pin hole. The stream of ketchup went flying across the aisle directly onto the face of a rather large trucker.

I was never so embarrassed and scared in all my life. The trucker gave me the meanest look I'd even seen, he pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped off his face while giving a look that chilled me to the bone. I thought I was going to piss myself. Then I grabbed my backpack an prepared to run for my life when he broke into the laughter and shook his head.

The Little Engine That Could. My copy has been with me since I quit using intravenous drugs some 20 years ago. I probably read through it 10-20 times a year. It was a childhood favorite and my Grandmother sent me a copy when I entered rehab for the last time.

I am 56 and I have no idea either, truth is I don't care to know. That said however, no one should be discriminated against so I support gay rights and gay marriage but honestly I have no interest in the details.

Where I live alcohol cannot be served on Sundays without a food order. The place I used to frequent on Sundays served "The Sandwich" It was a grilled cheese sandwich with fries except you didn't eat it. You were charged a very modest price and you let it sit on your table for 5 minutes or so and then the waitress would move it to another table. Now you can legally be served a drink.